Source: FreeMalaysiatoday.comBy Marvin Augustine Twin assault by planters and poachers is decimating Sabah’s wildlife at a faster rate than foreseen, claim activists in the state. Habitat destruction and illegal hunting contribute to dwindling sightings of Sabah’s endemic species in all of the state’s rainforests. The rapid conversion of many fragile yet wildlife sustaining areas into oil palm plantations after decades of logging has pushed wildlife conservation in the state into a trendy activity. Such has been the destruction that several international wildlife and environment protection groups have set up local branches to start conservation programmes that state has been slow to implement. This has placed the spotlight squarely on the Sabah government and its role on wildlife conservation enforcement. The outcome of investigations into the fatal poisoning of 14 pygmy elephant earlier this year near the Gunung Rara forest reserve is a case in point. Jane (not her real name) a young local environment activist who requested anonymity said: It seems even this horrific incident has failed to slow down the conversion of the forest to palm oil plantation. There has been no word about what happened let alone prosecution of any culprits. “It’s like they (state authorities) have swept those elephants under the carpet. What does that say about their duties and responsibilities? It is giving the impression that someone big is behind this and is being protected. All these conferences they (state government officials) come out and speak about wildlife conservation are just media events to show they are concerned,” said Jane. She has a point.Conflicting stand The outspoken Sabah Environment Protection Association or Sepa, was not invited to attend the East and Southeast Asian Wild Animal Rescue Network (WARN) Conference as a participant. There top state officials spoke about the lack of enforcement and the open sale of bear parts in the city. Until now, the state government investigation task force, set up after the 14 elephants were found dead near a forested area bordering an oil palm plantation, have failed to identify the culprits. A RM120,000 cash offer for information on the poisoning remains unclaimed. More....

Source: News.Asiaone.comThe Sabah Wildlife Department will set up an enforcement unit following reports of illegal poaching activities at pristine conservation areas including the Maliau Basin and Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said the Wildlife Enforcement Unit would work in a similar way with the Wildlife Rescue Unit, but would focus on wildlife trade, illegal hunting and bush meat trade. "Our aim is to deploy the best existing tools against wildlife smuggling and poaching and having a permanent presence in all protected areas in Sabah. "We are looking for institutions interested to support this unit," he said yesterday. State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said Sabah would use all means to stop illegal hunting and the sale of protected animal species' parts. "We might seem to have lost many battles, but I can assure you, the buck stops here and the war for wildlife conservation is being fought hard by a very dedicated group of people in Sabah in whom I place all my trust,'' he added. At the Fifth East and Southeast Asian Wild Animal Rescue Network (WARN) conference held in Tuaran on Nov 26 and Nov 27, wildlife researchers reported that there was ample evidence of illegal hunting in several forest reserves and national parks in Sabah. These included iconic areas such as the Crocker Range National Park, Tawau Hills National Park, Maliau Basin Conservation Area and Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Other affected conservation areas include the Malua Bio Bank and Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. "This is extremely serious and the state government, NGOs and research institutions need to tackle this issue as quickly as possible if we don't want to see our wildlife ending up in bowls and as medicinal products," said wildlife research NGO Danau Girang Field Centre director Dr Benoit Goosens. More....

Source: Dailyexpress.com.MYIllegal hunting is alleged to have taken place in several forest reserves and national parks in Sabah, including the Maliau Basin Conservation Area which is also known as The Lost World. Also in Crocker Range National Park, Tawau Hills National Park, Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Malua Biobank and Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. This was exposed during the Fifth East and Southeast Asian Wild Animal Rescue Network (WARN) Conference held at Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort here on Nov 26-27. The conference, which was the first to be held in Sabah, was co-organised by Sabah Wildlife Department and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) and sponsored by Malaysian Palm Oil Council, EcoOils, Sabah Tourism Board and Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort. "We also have evidence of illegal hunting in several forest reserves and national parks in Sabah, including iconic protected areas such as Crocker Range National Park, Tawau Hills National Park, Maliau Basin Conservation Area and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, but also Malua BioBank and Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary," said Dr Benoit Goossens, Director of DGFC, who was the co-organiser of the conference, during a discussion on wildlife trade and poaching in Southeast Asia, with a focus on Sabah. The discussion was also co-chaired by Dr Marc Ancrenaz from HUTAN. "This (illegal hunting) is extremely serious and we-government, NGOs, research institutions-need to tackle this issue as quickly as possible if we don't want to see our wildlife ending in bowls and/or in medicine products," said Goossens. "It is paramount that the millions recently invested in our protected forests are used for wildlife protection and wildlife trade and poaching enforcement. Shall we wait for another iconic species (such as the Sumatran rhino) to disappear in Sabah before reacting?" he asked. Goossens said they also took the opportunity during the discussion to present some recent data from surveys carried out by TRAFFIC in Sabah (and other Malaysian states) on pangolin trade and sun bear bile trade. "The results were astonishing, out of 21 shops visited in December 2010 in Kota Kinabalu, eight were selling bear bile products. Moreover, in a survey carried out in our State in 2012, 10 out of 24 shops surveyed were selling sun bear products. More astonishingly, a TRAFFIC report published in 2010 on pangolin trade in Sabah, including analysis of trade syndicate's logbooks seized by the Wildlife Department in 2009, showed that 22,200 pangolins were traded by the syndicate in 13 months," said Goossens. More....

Source: TheBorneopost.comNumerous shops in Sabah were found selling bear products, which show wildlife poaching is rampant in the state, the 5th East and Southeast Asian Wild Animal Rescue Network (WARN) Conference was told.The event, the first in Sabah, was organised by Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, Tuaran on Nov 26-27 and sponsored by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, EcoOils, Sabah Tourism Board and Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort..Dr Benoit Goossens, Director of DGFC and co-organiser of the conference, said a discussion on wildlife trade and poaching in Southeast Asia, with a focus on Sabah, was co-chaired by him and Dr Marc Ancrenaz from HUTAN.“We took the opportunity to present some recent data from surveys carried out by TRAFFIC in Sabah (and other Malaysian states) on pangolin trade and sun bear bile trade,” said Goossens.“The results were astonishing, out of 21 shops visited in December 2010 in Kota Kinabalu, eight were selling bear bile products. Moreover, in a survey carried out in our State in 2012, 10 out of 24 shops surveyed were selling sun bear products. More astonishingly, a TRAFFIC report published in 2010 on pangolin trade in Sabah, including analysis of trade syndicate’s logbooks seized by SWD in 2009, showed that 22,200 pangolins were traded by the syndicate in 13 months,” added Goossens.“We also have evidence of illegal hunting in several forest reserves and national parks in Sabah not only at iconic protected areas such as Crocker Range National Park, Tawau Hills National Park, Maliau Basin Conservation Area and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, but also Malua BioBank and Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. This is extremely serious and we – government, NGOs, research institutions – need to tackle this issue as quickly as possible if we don’t want to see our wildlife ending in bowls and/or in medicine products,” said Goossens.“It is paramount that the millions recently invested in our protected forests are used for wildlife protection and wildlife trade and poaching enforcement. Shall we wait for another iconic species (such as the Sumatran rhino) to disappear in Sabah before reacting?” concluded Goossens.“WARN is a network of wild animal rescue centers, wildlife law enforcement groups and officials and animal protection groups in East and Southeast Asia,” said Professor Kurtis Pei, Interim Board Chair of WARN and professor at the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan.“I’m very proud to say that WARN was established as a registered international NGO since August 2013 and that we have members in the following countries: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, and many representatives from wildlife rescue centers in those countries attended WARN 2013 in Sabah,” added Professor Pei. More....

Illegal hunting in several forest reserves and national parks in Sabah, including iconic protected areas such as Crocker Range National Park, is still going on, concerned non-governmental organisations has warned. These NGOs charged that poachers have infiltrated the Tawau Hills National Park, Maliau Basin Conservation Area and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, as well as the Malua BioBank and Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. “This is extremely serious and we – government, NGOs, research institutions – need to tackle this issue as quickly as possible if we don’t want to see our wildlife ending in bowls and/or in medicine products,” said Dr Benoit Goossens, Director of Danau Girang Field Centre. “It is paramount that the millions (of Ringgit) recently invested in our protected forests are used for wildlife protection and wildlife trade and poaching enforcement,” he told the recent 5th East and Southeast Asian Wild Animal Rescue Network (WARN) Conference held in Tuaran. “Shall we wait for another iconic species (such as the Sumatran rhino) to disappear in Sabah before reacting?” concluded Goossens in his talk.The conference, the 1st in Sabah, was organised by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and DGFC last 26 and 27 November. The conference was sponsored by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, EcoOils, Sabah Tourism Board and Shangri La’s Rasa Ria Resort.“In fact, a discussion on wildlife trade and poaching in Southeast Asia, with a focus on Sabah was co-chaired by Dr Marc Ancrenaz from HUTAN and myself,” said Goossens, the co-organiser of the conference. “We took the opportunity to present some recent data from surveys carried out by TRAFFIC in Sabah (and other Malaysian states) on pangolin trade and sun bear bile trade,” he added.“The results were astonishing; out of 21 shops visited in December 2010 in Kota Kinabalu, eight were selling bear bile products. Moreover, in a survey carried out in our State in 2012, 10 out of 24 shops surveyed were selling sun bear products. “More astonishingly, a TRAFFIC report published in 2010 on pangolin trade in Sabah, including analysis of trade syndicate’s logbooks seized by SWD in 2009, showed that 22,200 pangolins were traded by the syndicate in 13 months,” he pointed out. More....